They have recieved several Gospel Music Association Dove Awards throughout their career. Their first first was "Rap/Hip Hop Song" for "Alcoholic Plagiarism", from Factors of the Seven. The next year they took the same award for "They All Fall Down", from Grammatical Revolution. In 2003 The Art Of Translation won the award for "Rap/Hip Hop Album", and the following year their song "Believe" from the same album took "Rap/Hip Hop Song". They also shared in the "Special Event Album" that year, for their contribution to !Hero The Rock Opera.
Album list:
1. Mental Releases
2. Factors of the Seven
3. Grammatical Revolution in the Spirit
4. Art of Translation
5. Dichotomy A
6. Dichotomy B
7. Art of Transformation (remix album of Translation)
8. 7 (best of album)
9. Redemption
10. The Greatest Hits
11. Reiterate
12. Quarantine
Memories
Grits Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Attracted to the sweetness of the pies, taste of marmalade,
Chocked with goodness, ice-cream is melted I'm afraid,
We accept the bad with good times, memories to fade,
Fruit flies swarm around the picnic that mama made,
Attracted to the sweetness of the pies, taste of marmalade,
Chocked with goodness, ice-cream is melted I'm afraid,
We accept the bad with good times, memories to fade.
I remember licking cake batter spoons, making tents in the rooms,
Playing with my cousins underneath the full Georgia moon,
Keen advice from Cousin Davy, kept my faith tight,
And Wavies Curl bag that holds every dew rags,
And pork and beans, potted meat and saltines,
Grilled cheese and pig feed, bullet grapes and palm trees,
Sweetness of my memories,
My daddy had a '98, yellow like banana peels,
Whitewalls and custom wheels, pillows in the window sills,
They called my granddaddy "Razor", he was cold-witted,
He hit the hooch, you made him mad and you was gone feel it,
Miss Flaws sat next to my grandma, and the backbone,
And an angel in disguise took the chord of family ties.
Fruit flies swarm around the picnic that mama made,
Attracted to the sweetness of the pies, taste of marmalade,
Chocked with goodness, ice-cream is melted I'm afraid,
We accept the bad with good times, memories to fade,
Fruit flies swarm around the picnic that mama made,
Attracted to the sweetness of the pies, taste of marmalade,
Chocked with goodness, ice-cream is melted I'm afraid,
We accept the bad with good times, memories to fade.
Blessed with the gift of gab,
Holding potential's essential to pinch you,
Convince you that we got the strength to lift the slab,
We ain't just a shifting fad, jonesing for whatever ops should come our way,
Recover from the losses, cautious, I'm okay,
Take my breath away, take it to immeasurable heights,
Scoping through my point of view, take a picture through my sights,
Pray that Im-a rap it right,
Rep it, overstepping boundaries,
Guessing lessons, natural progressions,
Hoping they don't clown me,
Chatter join the memory bliss, spotted in the corner, plotting,
Any coffeehouse in town is going down,
I shag it rotten, gang up or keeping options,
Symphonies that might hip-opera,
By thirty mix states, I'm thumbing through my brain synapses,
Recall the gall that made me stumble, fall for gain,
Some of y'all forced the stall,
Falls and master walls, now here we are,
Mama's teaching standing strong,
Daddy's discipline is out the window,
Daddy's presence wasn't felt, so I knelt within the in...
Fruit flies swarm around the picnic that mama made,
Attracted to the sweetness of the pies, taste of marmalade,
Chocked with goodness, ice-cream is melted I'm afraid,
We accept the bad with good times, memories to fade,
Flies swarm around the picnic that mama made,
Attracted to the sweetness of the pies, taste of marmalade,
Chocked with goodness, ice-cream is melted I'm afraid,
We accept the bad with good times, memories to fade.
The song starts with vivid imagery of a family picnic, where fruit flies swarm around the sweet pies and melting ice cream. The singer talks about accepting both good and bad times in life, as memories eventually fade away. The lyrics then delve into the singer's childhood memories, with mentions of cake batter spoons, playing with cousins under the Georgia moon, and receiving advice from Cousin Davy. The song also includes mentions of various food items, such as pork and beans, potted meat, saltines, grilled cheese, and bullet grapes. The singer reminisces about his family, including his grandfather who was nicknamed "Razor" and his grandmother's friend Miss Flaws. The song ends with the singer reflecting on his own life, acknowledging the lessons he has learned and the challenges he has overcome.
Overall, the song highlights the importance of family and the memories that they create. The reference to fruit flies suggests that even in the midst of imperfections and challenges, there is still sweetness and happiness to be found.
Line by Line Meaning
Fruit flies swarm around the picnic that mama made,
The memories of the sweet treats from my childhood bring back thoughts of my loving mother who prepared picnics for us
Attracted to the sweetness of the pies, taste of marmalade,
The delicious taste of mama's pies and marmalade makes me feel nostalgic
Chocked with goodness, ice-cream is melted I'm afraid,
The goodness of the food and the warmth of the sun make me forget about the ice-cream melting
We accept the bad with good times, memories to fade,
We accept that life has both good and bad moments that will eventually fade away into memories
I remember licking cake batter spoons, making tents in the rooms,
As a child, I remember enjoying the little things like licking the cake batter off the spoon and building tents in the living room
Playing with my cousins underneath the full Georgia moon,
I have fond memories of spending time with my cousins under the beautiful Georgia moon
Keen advice from Cousin Davy, kept my faith tight,
My cousin Davy provided me with wise advice that helped me stay true to my faith
And Wavies Curl bag that holds every dew rags,
The Wavies Curl bag contained all the dew rags that we used to style our hair
And pork and beans, potted meat and saltines,
We used to enjoy simple foods like pork and beans, potted meat, and saltines during our family picnics
Grilled cheese and pig feed, bullet grapes and palm trees,
We also enjoyed more unconventional foods like grilled cheese and pig feed, along with the exotic sight of palm trees
Sweetness of my memories,
All of these memories are sweet to me, and I cherish them deeply
My daddy had a '98, yellow like banana peels,
My father had a yellow 1998 car that reminded me of banana peels
Whitewalls and custom wheels, pillows in the window sills,
The car had whitewall tires and custom wheels, and the windows had pillows in the sills
They called my granddaddy 'Razor', he was cold-witted,
My grandfather was called 'Razor' and was known for his quick wit
He hit the hooch, you made him mad and you was gone feel it,
If my grandfather drank too much, he could become angry and lash out
Miss Flaws sat next to my grandma, and the backbone,
Miss Flaws would always sit next to my grandmother, who was the backbone of the family
And an angel in disguise took the chord of family ties.
Someone who was like an angel to us helped to strengthen the bonds between our family members
Blessed with the gift of gab,
I have been blessed with the ability to communicate well
Holding potential's essential to pinch you,
I believe that it's important to recognize your own potential and strive for greatness
Convince you that we got the strength to lift the slab,
I am confident that we have the strength to overcome challenges and obstacles in life
We ain't just a shifting fad, jonesing for whatever ops should come our way,
We are not just following trends or scrambling for opportunities, but rather we have a purpose and a plan
Recover from the losses, cautious, I'm okay,
We have the ability to recover from our losses and overcome setbacks, and I am cautious but confident in this ability
Take my breath away, take it to immeasurable heights,
We have the potential to achieve great things that will leave us breathless and take us to new heights
Scoping through my point of view, take a picture through my sights,
I want others to see the world from my perspective, to understand my experiences and my views
Pray that Im-a rap it right,
I hope that I will be able to express myself effectively through my music
Rep it, overstepping boundaries,
I am willing to push boundaries and challenge norms in order to express myself fully
Guessing lessons, natural progressions,
I am constantly learning and growing, and I believe that this natural progression is part of the journey
Hoping they don't clown me,
I hope that others will take me seriously and not dismiss or ridicule me for expressing myself through music
Chatter join the memory bliss, spotted in the corner, plotting,
I am lost in my memories, but I am also aware of the world around me and planning my next moves
Any coffeehouse in town is going down, I shag it rotten,
I am confident in my ability to perform and I will bring the house down at any coffeehouse I play at
Gang up or keeping options,
I have options and different paths that I could take, and I am willing to work with others or go it alone if necessary
Symphonies that might hip-opera,
I am experimenting with different genres and styles of music, including mixing hip hop and opera
By thirty mix states, I'm thumbing through my brain synapses,
I am constantly seeking inspiration and new ideas for my music, and I am exploring different parts of my brain and psyche to do so
Recall the gall that made me stumble, fall for gain,
I remember the challenges and setbacks that I have faced in my life, but I am determined to use them as fuel for success
Some of y'all forced the stall,
Some people in my life have tried to hold me back or discourage me, but I have not let them stop me from pursuing my dreams
Falls and master walls, now here we are,
Despite the obstacles and challenges, I have persevered and come out on the other side to achieve success
Mama's teaching standing strong,
My mother taught me to be strong and resilient, and I have carried those lessons with me throughout my life
Daddy's discipline is out the window,
My father's strict discipline is no longer a part of my life, but I still respect the lessons he taught me
Daddy's presence wasn't felt, so I knelt within the in...
Despite my father's absence, I have found strength and guidance within myself and my own beliefs
Contributed by Vivian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.